Robe-rail for automobiles.



- W. G. BRIGHTON. ROBE RAIL FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED rm. 2. 1914.

Patented Jan. 7, 1319.

IVILLARD G. CRICI-ITON, OF RYE, YORK.

ROBE-BAIL non AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

Application filed February 7, 1914. Serial No. 817,094.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, WIL ARD G. Cmon'roN. of Rye, in the county of Westchester, and in the State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Robe-Rails for Automobiles, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

The object of myinvention has been to provide a robe rail for automobiles, etc., which can be locked to prevent unauthorized removal of a robe or robes therefrom, and in which gravity alone shall be capable of successfull locking a robe to prevent the wind from dislodging it, and to such ends my invention consists in a robe rail for auto mobiles, etc., hereinafter specified.

In the a'companying drawings-- Figures 1 and 2 are respectively front and end elevations of a robe rail embodying my invention, the dotted lines showing the open position preparatory to receiving a robe,

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken longitudinally through the movable bar of the robe rail; and

Fig. 4: is a partial sectional view in the plane of one of the arms, while Fig. 5 is a. transverse sectional view through the two bars of the rail.

My invention is capable of embodiment in many difi'erent forms, and the illustrated embodiment thereof is to be regarded as typical only, and my invention is not to be restricted thereto.

In .the illustrated embodiment I have shown brackets adapted to be secured to the back of an automobile seat, or other convenient place, said brackets in the present instance consisting of a horizontal arm 1 and an inclined arm 2 meeting and supporting ears provided with pins on which fulcrum arms 5 carrying the main locking bar 6 of the robe rail. A relatively movable bar 7 is mounted to slide on the arms 5, and in the present instance is provided with sleeves or eyes 8, which embrace the arms 5. As the arms 5 are short compared with the distance between them, the sleeves or eyes 8 have to be relatively short, so that it is difficult, if not impossible, to guide the locking bar 7 by means of the said eyes so as to keep it parallel with the main bar 6, and so that it will not tilt and cramp the sleeves of the arms 5. In order to overcome these difliculties and to maintain the bars 6 and 7 in a parallel relation, I provide means at each end of the hiring bar 7 which keeps the saidbars parallel. In the present instance, said means takes the form of links 9, which are pivoted in the inclined arms of the brackets at one end, and at the other end are pivoted to the sleeves or eyes. Thus the sleevesor eyes are always at a fixed distance from the feet of the inclined bracket arms,

while the side bars 5 swing about a center.

at the upper ends of su h inclined bracket arms, and the result is that by raising and lowering the main bar 6 so as to swing the arms 5 about their fulcrum pins, the links 9 will withdraw the lockin bar 7 from the main bar 6, or force said are toward each other, relatively, as shown by the full line and dotted line positions in Figs. 1 and 2.

While my invention is valuable without any means for locking the locking bar to the main bar, I prefer to provide su'h means, and in the present instance have illustrated them by the means shown in the application of Reuben W. Johnson, Ser. No. 799,439, filed Nov. 6, 1913. To that end, locking bar 7 preferably is hollow and has within each end a rod 11 having a pawl 12 on its outer end, the pawl sliding in a groove 13 in side bar 5 and adapted to engage teeth therein. A spring 12 is coiled about the rod 11 and bears at one end against a' shoulder 13*- in the locking bar 7, and at the other end against the pawl, the spring thus tending to force the pawls into engagement with the teeth. Each rod 11 carries a thumb piece 14, which thumb pieces project from slots 15 in the locking bar 7, and a 10 k 16 is provided, whose bolt 17 may be shot between the thumb pieces 14 to lock them apart so that the pawls 12 will be held between the ratchet teeth, and so that the locking bar 7 can thus be prevented from being withdrawn to release the robe.

In the present instance I have provided the robe rail or main bar 6 and locking bar 7, one with a channel and the other with a blade adapted to be forced into said channel in order that between them they may grip and hold the robe. I have illustrated the blade as carried by the locking bar 7, and the channel as carried by the robe rail or main bar 6.

The normal position of the parts is in lowered position as shown in full lines, Fig. 2, Where they will occupy but little space.

lVhe-nit is desired to place a robe or robes thereon, thumb pieces 14 are retracted, and the parts raised to horizontal position" as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2. The robe then is placed over the robe railor main bar 6, and the parts allowed to drop. The Weight of the parts and of the robe will cause the parts to approach lowered or normal position, thus Lansing links 9 to force locking bar 7 toward the robe rail or main bar 6, and thereby clan'iping the robe firmly between said bars. The Weight of the parts and of the robe is suliiient' to hold the robe so seurely that it cannot be shaken or blown off. If it is desired to lock the bars in order to prevent any unauthorized re moval of the robe, the bars are pressed down as far as they will go, and bolt 17 of lock 16 positioned between thumb pieces 14: to prevent retraction thereof and thereby disengagement of pawls 12 from the ratchet teeth. Lock 16 may be of any desired type adapted to prevent the unlock ng of the bars except by authorized persons.

While I have described my invention as particularly applicable to automobiles, it is obvious that it can be used wherever it is desired to secure or lock a robe or similar object "upon a supporting rail.

I claim: i

1. In a robe rail, the combination of supporting brackets, arms pivoted to said brackets and carrying the robe rail proper, a bar guided upon said arms, and links connecting each end of said bar with said brackets and adapted to maintain said bar and said rail parallel.

2. In a robe rail, the combination of supporting brackets, arms pivoted to said brackets and carrying the robe rail proper, a bar guided upon said arms, links connecting each end of said bar with said brackets and adapted to maintain said bar and said rail parallel, and means for locking said rail and said bar in fixed relative position.

In a robe rail, the combination of supporting brackets, arms pivoted to said brackets and carrying the robe rail proper,

a bar mounted on said arms, and links shorter than said arms connecting said bar with said brackets.

at. In a robe rail,'the combination of sup-j porting brackets, arms pivoted to said brackets and carrying the robe rail proper, a

' bar mounted on said arms, links shorter than said arms connecting said bar with said Copies of this patentmay be obtained for brackets, and means forlocking. said rail and said bar in fixed relative position.

5. In a robe rail, the combination of supporting brackets, arms pivoted to said bracketsand. carrying the robe rail proper, a bar having sleeves or eyes adapted to slide on said arms, and a link connecting each sleve'gto' a bracket. a g 6. In a robe rail, the combination of supporting brackets, arms pivoted to said brackets and carrying the robe. rail proper, a bar having sleeves or eyes adapted to slide on said arms, a linkconnecting each sleeve to a bracket, and means for locking said rail and said bar in fixedrelative position.

7. The combination of a robe rail, a looking bar substantially parallel to said robe rail, means to support said rail and said bar, means adapted to. Cause saidrail and said bar to approach each other when a robe sufficiently heavy tocause said railto move downward is placed on said ra il,:a'nd locking means'forpreventing separation of said rail and bar. I

8. The combination of a robe rail having pivotally mounted side arms, a'locking bar slidably mounted on said side arms, and mechanism adapted to cause said rail and said bar automatically to approach each other when a robesufiiciently heavy togcause said rail to move downward is placed on said raili f1 9. The combination of a robe rail having pivotally mounted side arms,'a locking bar slidably mounted on said side arms, mechanism adapted to cause said rail and said bar automatically to approach each other When a robe sufficiently heavy to cause said rail to move downward is placed on said raihand means to prevent said rail and said bar from receding fromeach. other.

10. In a robe rail, meansto support and to secure a robe comprising members pivoted at difierent points and having cooperating aws slidably connected to slide in and out of their gripping positions wh n the mem bers are moved upon their plvots, one of said members being pivotally connected to its aw.

In'testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

. ILLAR G. CRIC'HTON. l

L. BRonnmo'K'.

I1 lVitnesses five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, WashingtomDJ." f I 

